Two books from the publishers and sent to me via NetGalley today, one great and one not as expected and not so great. I don’t even know if I can write the second one down in my journal as being finished or DNF as I think I’ve read slightly less than half of it properly …

Rolf Potts – “Souvenir”

(Jan 2018 – ebook)

Exciting Shiny New Books news for this one – my review of “Souvenir” is available now. It was a great book, recommended by my friend (pusher / enabler) Cari, and I think the series looks really interesting in itself. Do pop over and have a read – Shiny are also sharing all sorts of archive stuff as they’ve reached the grand old age of four!

Thank you to the publisher for choosing me to read this one.

Paul Theroux – “Figures in a Landscape”

(26 March 2018)

I thought this was a book of his travel writing, which I do love, but there was more literary criticism than I was prepared for, unfortunately all about writers I’m not really interested in (Maugham, Hunter S. Thompson, Thoreau (of whom he’s very critical). There was a lovely piece about Oliver Sacks and some nastiness about Britain; the piece on Hawaii was very interesting and it’s important to read about how messed up Africa has become but that was upsetting without any form of redemption. I nearly gave up at the long portrait of a New York dominatrix, but the book is, for me, good in parts like the curate’s egg.

This book was published on 08 May 2018. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me read it in return for an honest review.

Yes, the Potts was quite thoughtful and philosophical but also very entertaining. I will definitely pick up others if I see them. Theroux is a great travel writer but this left me a little cold, unfortunately – too many dead white male novelists in the mix! Thanks for the link, that was really interesting. I agree with him on The Worst Journey in the World!

Ooh I’ll have to look for Dust. Sounds interesting. I liked Souvenir, baggage. Didn’t care much for Burger.
Liz – yeah, this Theroux was a challenge to say the least.” Weird meanderings of a cranky old man” per a friend

I like the sound of the Potts a lot. However, Theroux sounds more of a mixed back. I’ve tried to read his travel writing in the past but never really warmed to him in the way I did to say Eric Newby. Obvs this is not one to start with….. 😉

I couldn’t really finish Theroux’s novel, The Lower River, and haven’t tried his books since. He was “hero” of sorts when I was in Peace Corps. He was responsible for getting PC thrown out of the country (if legend is to be believed). I do love most of his travel books, htough Kingdom by the Sea wasn’t as interesting as some of the others. A Dominatrix ….. he’s really grasphing for sales isn’t he?

I’ve never liked his novels but I do love his travel writing. Which is handy, as I have Deep South coming up on the TBR. And I have heard that about the PC, very interesting. The dominatrix piece must have been for a paper or something but it was quite tedious really!

I’ve definitely ended up reading nonfiction that turned out to be more literary criticism than I signed on for before! I have to admit that names escape me. Maybe The Futilitarians, although it wasn’t much of a surprise there. I’m sure there are better examples 🙂